Whilst Roman architecture has long stood as a discrete branch of classical studies, investigated for its artistic merit and cultural importance, the technical details of Roman construction have only recently started to receive considerable attention. This thesis contributes to a growing trend in Roman scholarship, that of the investigation of the processes, materials, and technologies behind the Roman built environment. The most prestigious buildings of the Empire often remain the focus of many of these studies, and so this thesis turns to explore the use of more everyday buildings and building materials, seeking a Romano-British vernacular, and investigating the processes of construction, building material production, and transport. It is argued, through using theoretical calculations of building material quantities, that even for relatively minor constructions, considerations of building material supply must have represented highly significant economic and logistical investment. To comprehend fully the subject it is asserted that building materials should not be treated, as they often are, as disparate artefacts, divided by substance into stone, ceramic, mortar, metal, etc., but rather they should be considered as related fragments of a building. They require synthetic analysis, through which a far truer understanding of the incredible effort involved in construction in the ancient world can be gained. The built environment of Roman Oxfordshire, and the Roman building material assemblage from Dorchester on Thames, are used as case studies. Primary analysis of building materials is carried out using an integrated analytical approach, combining thin section petrography with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The outcomes of these analyses are interpreted against a background of archaeological and historical evidence for construction and material supply, in both the Roman and later periods, in the region and beyond.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2016-11-16T11:48:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Alan Souza Lima.pdf: 1120771 bytes, checksum: 2897159f5159462ca316446c9c701f79 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-16T11:48:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alan Souza Lima.pdf: 1120771 bytes, checksum: 2897159f5159462ca316446c9c701f79 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The objective of this research was analyse the influence of the attributes of small shops on the building sector that are considered important to the consumer decid in what store will buy the products, by the identification of the most important factors that are decisive on your own choice, althoug this study demonstrated the wishes of these customers, and was presented thus a note about the relation price x perceived quality. The study described another researches, not only on retail building materials, but thus on other reatil segments, and was demonstrated the results of theses investigations. The methodology applied was quantitative, conclusive and descriptive, done by the active clientes of a small store building materials who responded the questions using a Likert 5-point scale. Where used the software Microsoft Excel® 2013, and the software IBM SPSS Statistics, 24. For the interpretation of these data was adopted the Cronbach alpha, the Peasron’s correlation coefficient, and thus the One-Way Anova. The data indicated that the main attibute for these consumers is the variety and avaiability of products, followed by fast service and cuts. This way, the study demonstrated that the analysis of the preferences of consumers of building materials can not be only summarized by the strategy of low price, but too understand the customer needs using all attributes related to satisfaction of consumers in general / O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a influência dos atributos das pequenas lojas de materiais para construção que são considerados relevantes para o consumidor decidir o local de compra dos produtos desejados, a partir da identificação dos principais fatores que impactam na decisão de escolha destes consumidores, e apontar os atributos valorizados por estes clientes, além de estabelecer uma análise da relação preço x qualidade percebida para este nicho de consumidor. A pesquisa conectou-se com outros pesquisadores do varejo, não só de materiais para construção, mas também de outras categorias e segmentos, ao demonstrar resultados de investigações a respeito das preferências dos consumidores varejistas em geral. A metodologia aplicada foi quantitativa, conclusiva e descritiva, realizada a partir de uma amostra selecionada do banco de dados dos clientes ativos de uma pequena loja de materiais para construção, que foram incumbidos de responder as questões propostas a partir de uma escala de Likert de 5 pontos. Foram utilizados para interpretação dos dados, o software Microsoft Excel® versão 2013, e o software IBM SPSS Statistics versão 24. Tomou-se como base de análise, os resultados do Alpha de Cronbach, o coeficiente de Correlação de Pearson, além do One-Way ANOVA. Os indicadores demonstraram que a principal influência para os clientes do pequeno varejo de materiais para construção está direcionada à variedade e disponibilidade dos produtos oferecidos pelas lojas, seguidas do atendimento rápido e cortês. Desta forma, este estudo sugeriu que a análise das preferências dos consumidores de materiais para construção não devem ser sintetizadas às estratégias relacionadas ao preço mais baixo, mas sim compreender e atender as necessidades dos clientes tomando-se como base o conjunto de atributos relacionados à satisfação dos consumidores em geral

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2002 / Refer to document

Wood pulp fibers are a unique reinforcing material as they are non-hazardous, renewable, and readily available at relatively low cost compared to other commercially available fibers. Today, pulp fiber-cement composites can be found in products such as extruded non-pressure pipes and non-structural building materials, mainly thin-sheet products. Although natural fibers have been used historically to reinforce various building materials, little scientific effort has been devoted to the examination of natural fibers to reinforce engineering materials until recently. The need for this type of fundamental research has been emphasized by widespread awareness of moisture-related failures of some engineered materials; these failures have led to the filing of national- and state-level class action lawsuits against several manufacturers. Thus, if pulp fiber-cement composites are to be used for exterior structural applications, the effects of cyclical wet/dry (rain/heat) exposure on performance must be known. Pulp fiber-cement composites have been tested in flexure to examine the progression of strength and toughness degradation. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), a three-part model describing the mechanisms of progressive degradation has been proposed: (1) initial fiber-cement/fiber interlayer debonding, (2) reprecipitation of crystalline and amorphous ettringite within the void space at the former fiber-cement interface, and (3) fiber embrittlement due to reprecipitation of calcium hydroxide filling the spaces within the fiber cell wall structure. Finally, as a means to mitigate kraft pulp fiber-cement composite degradation, the effects of partial portland cement replacement with various supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) has been investigated for their effect on mitigating kraft pulp fiber-cement composite mechanical property degradation (i.e., strength and toughness losses) during wet/dry cycling. SCMs have been found to be effective in mitigating composite degradation through several processes, including a reduction in the calcium hydroxide content, stabilization of monosulfate by maintaining pore solution pH, and a decrease in ettringite reprecipitation accomplished by increased binding of aluminum in calcium aluminate phases and calcium in the calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) phase.

In the U.S. and other developed countries, humans spend the vast majority of their time within the built environment. As a result, a substantial portion of our collective exposure to airborne pollutants, even those of outdoor origin, occurs in indoor environments. In addition, building construction materials and operational practices are changing as we endeavor to reduce the energy burden of the built environment. These changes result in barriers and opportunities in mitigating exposure to indoor pollutants and the accompanying implications for human health. This dissertation advances knowledge regarding low-energy control of indoor ozone. Ozone is often considered a pollutant of outdoor concern. However, ozone in indoor environments presents important challenges regarding exposure, intake, and chemistry in the built environment. The investigations in this dissertation extend the state understanding of indoor transport and transformation of ozone, and the potential for using material-surface interactions in buildings to suppress concentrations of indoor ozone. The first objective relates to the determination of magnitudes of ozone removal and product emissions at room or building scales. This objective provides new data on reactive uptake and product generation in large-scale environments, develops Monte Carlo models describing indoor ozone removal by materials in homes, and compares active and passive methods of indoor ozone removal. The second objective addresses the need to develop improved air cleaning materials through experiments and modeling that address material-ozone reactions in porous materials. This objective advances the state of modeling heterogeneous reactive uptake of ozone by characterizing material physical properties and transport phenomena, determining their impact on ozone removal, and using these data to develop a more mechanistic model of material-ozone reactions. Ultimately, these investigations advance the engineering concepts that support the development of passive indoor pollutant controls, an important tool for reducing concentrations of indoor pollutants while supporting low-energy building initiatives. The combination of experimental characterization of ozone deposition velocities and product emission rates, whole-building Monte Carlo modeling, and mechanistic material/pollutant models provide important new data and approaches that expand the state of knowledge of the fate and transport of reactive pollutants in indoor environments. / text

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

Presently, there exists a large number of historic houses that have had their walls insulated with loose-fill cellulose and can now be studied 10, 20 or 30 years after they were insulated. The wood siding of these houses can be evaluated for types of paint failure and compared to comparable historic houses that have not had their sidewalls insulated. A methodology for defining common paint failure types, their presence and possibly their severity was designed. A methodology for the selecting of historic houses with both insulated and uninsulated walls was also designed. A visual documentation process was carried out, results compiled and analyzed in order to determine if a difference could be observed between the types of paint failures on the insulated versus the uninsulated historic houses. In addition this study looked at the most common sources for moisture intrusion into a wall cavity, how this moisture moves, and how little the role of vapor diffusion plays in the wetting of the wall cavity. / Moisture and paint failure -- Understanding moisture movement in buildings -- How frame walls get wet -- How insulation might affect how frame walls get wet and how they dry -- Strategies for controlling moisture -- Other causes of exterior paint failure unrelated to moisture within the wall -- Field work -- Types of paint failure -- Case study houses -- Summary and conclusion. / Department of Architecture

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:44:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:57:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 06870.pdf: 3530366 bytes, checksum: 5bddd2a5ab0508e81a57fdbb2c5f73d1 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Tsang Wai Ying, Martha. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2009-2010, design report." / "May 2010." / Chapter CHAPETER 0 --- BACKGROUND / Chapter - --- Interest of studies / Chapter - --- Lifecycle + Lifespan / Chapter CHAPETER 1 --- THESIS STATEMENT / Chapter CHAPETER 2 --- PRECEDENT STUDIES - THE PRODUCTS' CYCLE / Chapter - --- Material transformation / Chapter - --- Artist artworks with daily product / Chapter - --- Recycle Architecture / Chapter CHAPETER 3 --- IN SEARCH OF - DAILY PRODUCTS FOR ARCHITECTURE / Chapter - --- Dally product research / Chapter - --- Containers + Pallets / Chapter CHAPETER 4 --- PALLETS / Chapter - --- Pallets system / Chapter - --- Geometry study / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- DESIGN / Chapter - --- programme / Chapter - --- short lifespan extension through repetitve use / Chapter - --- long lifespan extension through modification / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- CONSTRUCTION / Chapter - --- pallets as tool for construction / Chapter - --- connection / Chapter - --- cost / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- SPECIAL STUDIES - ENVELOPE AS LAYERS OF PROTECTION

Ces travaux s'appuient sur un contexte de santé lié à la dégradation de la qualité de l'air intérieur induite par la présence de micro-organismes. Dans les environnements intérieurs humides, les matériaux de construction sont des cibles de contamination et de prolifération microbienne importantes. La photocatalyse est un procédé de dépollution qui présente une action contre une large gamme de polluants organiques (aqueux, gazeux ou biologiques). Son principe repose sur l'excitation d'un photocatalyseur par une irradiation lumineuse, généralement située dans les UV, qui va permettre de dégrader les polluants environnants par une succession de réactions d'oxydo-réduction. Le photocatalyseur le plus courant est le dioxyde de titane (TiO2). Outre la production d'espèces oxydo-réductrices agressives, le TiO2 illuminé présente également un caractère super-hydrophile qui lui confère un caractère autonettoyant intéressant. Une autre solution est envisagée pour lutter contre la prolifération microbienne sur matériaux de construction : l'utilisation de molécule bio-sourcées d'ester de glycérol aux propriétés naturellement antimicrobienne. L'objectif de cette étude est de développer des revêtements pour matériaux de construction intérieurs et d'étudier leur propriété de résistance à la prolifération microbienne et les modes d'action de ces dispositifs passifs formulés soit à base de particules de TiO2, soit à base d'ester de gycérol. Dans un premier temps, un travail de développement et de mise en œuvre de dispositifs expérimentaux a été nécessaire afin d'adapter des méthodes d'évaluation microbiologiques sur ces matériaux particuliers (particules, lasures, matériaux cimentaires). Ainsi, plusieurs essais ont été adaptés afin d'évaluer les performances antimicrobiennes en terme (i) d'activité antibactérienne, (ii) d'effet bactéricide, (iii) de résistance à la formation de biofilm et (iv) de résistance à la prolifération par contamination " naturelle ". Les premiers essais visent à mettre en évidence l'impact des facteurs méthodologiques sur l'activité antibactérienne des particules de TiO2 utilisées seules comme agent désinfectant. Dans un deuxième temps, des lasures photocatalytiques sont formulées sur la base de travaux antérieurs ayant montrés de bonnes efficacités de dépollution de l'air contre les NOx, NO et différents COV. Une fois les paramètres d'influence de l'activité du TiO2 mis en exergue, les lasures ont été testées dans des conditions optimales. Le développement d'un essai de résistance à la prolifération de biofilm montre l'importance de coupler différentes méthodes d'évaluation microbiologique (dénombrement des UFC et observation au microscope à épifluorescence). La dernière partie de cette étude explore le potentiel antimicrobien de la molécule d'ester de glycérol, sous-produit de la synthèse de biocarburant. La molécule montre des propriétés antibactériennes et bactéricides puissantes en quelques minutes de contact seulement. Elle présente également une protection très efficace contre la prolifération microbienne une fois recouverte sur matériaux de construction (placo-plâtre). Ces performances remarquables encouragent la poursuite des études sur cette molécule. / This work is included in a health-related context: the degradation of the indoor air quality induced by the presence of microorganisms. In damp environments, indoor building materials are among the main proliferation substrates for microorganisms. Photocatalysis is a decontamination process which is active against a wide range of organic pollutants (aqueous, gaseous or biological). The principle is based on the excitation of a photocatalyst by light irradiation, usually located in the UV-range, which leads to the degradation or mineralization of surrounding pollutants through a series of oxidative reactions. The most common photocatalyst is titanium dioxide (TiO2). In addition to produce aggressive redox species, the illuminated TiO2 also shows super-hydrophilicity, which has an impact on the first step of microbial biofilm formation: the adhesion of microorganisms. Another technology to protect indoor building materials is explored: the use of glycerol esters, which are bio-based molecules with inherent antimicrobial properties. The main objective of this study is to develop semi-transparent coatings for indoor building materials and to study the resistance to microbial growth conferred by these passive devices, which are formulated using TiO2 nanoparticles or glycerol esters. Initially, the development and implementation of experimental devices has been necessary to adapt microbiological evaluation methods to these particular materials (nanoparticles, surface coatings, cementitious materials). Thus, several tests have been carried out in order to assess the antimicrobial performances in terms of (i) antibacterial activity, (ii) bactericidal effect, (iii) resistance to biofilm formation and (iv) resistance to proliferation by "natural" contamination. First tests aimed to underline the influence of methodological parameters on the efficiency of TiO2 particles used alone as antimicrobial agent. Then, semi-transparent coatings were formulated on the basis of previous works which have shown good efficiencies on the depollution of ambient air from NOx, NO and VOC. Once the parameters that influence TiO2 activity were identified, coatings were tested in optimum conditions. The evaluation of the resistance to biofilm formation shows the importance of overlapping different microbiological evaluation methods (e.g. CFU counting and epifluorescence observations). The last part was an exploratory work on the antimicrobial properties of a glycerol ester molecule, by-product from the synthesis of biofuels. The molecule shows potent antibacterial and bactericidal properties, several log of inactivation within only few minutes of contact. It also provides very effective protection against microbial growth once covered on building materials (plasterboard). These remarkable performances encourage further studies on this molecule.